Titanium
by Goldilocks775
Summary: Everyone knows Johanna Mason, but what about her games? This is the 70th hunger games in Johanna's POV.
1. Chapter 1

"Johanna! The reaping's in an hour! Get up!" My mother shouts from the bottom of the stairs.

"Whatever! I'm up, I'm up." I yell back at her. I drag myself out of bed and have a bath, blow-drying my hair. My family isn't desperately poor, but we are poor enough to not have hot water. Who needs hot water anyway? Cold baths wake you up. Hot baths are for snobby merchants and capitol freaks.

I go through my closet, and pick a pair of blue flats and my nicest dress, a faded blue one with floral print that used to be my mothers. I grab my favourite necklace, a copper dragon on a copper chain. It cost my father half his salary, but he bought it anyway. For my first reaping. "A beautiful girl needs a beautiful necklace." He said as he clasped it around my neck.

I quickly tie my hair in a ponytail, and head down to the kitchen for breakfast. My mother has made me bacon and eggs.

"Thanks mum."

"Welcome, Jo." No one says much on the day of the reaping.

"Jo! Are you meeting up with Eva and Keith for the reaping?" It was my father.

Eva is my best friend. We go to the reaping with each other every year. She is beautiful, with her golden-red hair and her sparkly blue eyes. Me, I look plain standing next to her. I have long brown hair that goes to my waist, bright brown eyes that are unusually big, very pale skin, a small nose peppered with freckles, and a small mouth. Keith is Eva's twin. He is very muscular, and _very_ good looking.

"Yeah, dad."

"Well, if you want to meet them in time, you had better go brush your teeth."

"Yeah mum."

I head up the stairs. I brush my teeth, taking in my surroundings, wondering if this is the last time I'll see my house.

When I get to the kitchen, my family says nothing. We just hug. We do this every reaping.

I stomp up the path to the Robinson house. Mrs Robinson says, "Hi Jo. Eva! Keith! Jo's here!" Their kitchen window looks out onto the front porch, so she saw me coming.

"Come in, Jo."

"Thanks Mrs Robinson. Hi, Mr Robinson. Hi, Eva. Hi Keith. Hi Tommy." Eva, Keith and their little brother Tommy enter the kitchen. Tommy is also 6, and he is Stinker's best friend.

"Hi Jo! We'd better go, guys. It starts in 20 minutes." Eva says. She looks pretty, in her white dress and black boots.

"We will be there soon." Mr Robinson says, worry lines creasing his face.

"Good luck. Love you all!" Mrs Robinson gives us all hugs. So does Tommy. "Jo, will Stinker play with me later? I want to show him the toy dinosaur daddy bought me yesterday. Isn't it cool?"

"Very, Tom. Bye everyone." We all walk down the path, and down to where the reaping is held.

"Welcome, welcome." Our escort, Felicia Petula speaks in that stupid, irritating capitol accent. She has bright orange skin, green hair and today she is dressed in a neon pink puff dress. Eva and I look at each other and look away in our attempts not to laugh. Whenever we see Felicia we get the giggles.

"Are you ready to pick your tributes for the 70th hunger games, district seven?" What a stupid question. It's not like we have any choice. "Ladies first!" She plunges her manicured hand into the bowl, and after swishing around for a bit, pulls out a name. "Your female tribute for this year's hunger games is... Johanna Mason!" Shit. I start crying. It's just an act, but only my best friends, Eva and Keith know that. I can live with going to the hunger games, I think as I walk up to the stage, (still crying). I don't mind as long as the male tribute isn't- "Keith Robinson!"

Nonononononononono. Mrs Robinson, my mother and Eva all scream, and the rest of the district look at us in sympathy.

"District 7's tribute for the 70th hunger games!" I feel like screaming obscenities at this rainbow freak, but that would destroy my act.

We are led off to the justice building. The peacekeepers shove me in a room adorned with red velvet.

My family straggles in, looking shell-shocked and miserable. My mother throws herself on me, sobbing.

"Jo! Jo! No! Win! Nooooo!" My father pulls her off me. I kiss her forehead.

"Jo," he whispers "I know this is an act. Wait till you get to the final eight, and you kill, girl. You go crazy."

"Yes. Da, I'm scared."

"Don't you be scared girl, you be vicious. Jo, you can do this. You will come home." He hugs me tightly, and kisses my forehead.

Stinker runs foreword and hugs me. "Jo, come back. You _will_ come home, won't you?"

"Yes Stinker, and you will see me on TV. Ok? Love you, Stinker."

My mum has calmed herself. She hugs me very tightly. "Jo, you will win. You're coming home."

The peacekeepers enter the room. "Times up."

"I love you! I will try! Goodbye!"

"Jo! You have to come! Noooooo!" My little brother's screams echo down the hall.

Eva walks in. Sobbing.

"J-jo! No! Johanna! Keith! K-keith - Jo! Nooo! I love you both! You're a sister! And he's a brother!"

"Eva..." Soon we are both sobbing. We cling to each other even when the peacekeepers come into the room.

"G-goodbye, Eva."

"B-b-b-bye Jo." The door slams.

Tommy, Mr Robinson and Mrs Robinson enter. All crying. They all hug me. Just repeating my name and Keith's name. Then the peacekeepers take them away. I shout goodbye, before the door closes. Then it's time to go.

Keith hugs me in the corridor, and Felicia leads us to the train.

"Isn't it wonderful?" She says. I cry louder. Our mentors enter the train. "I'm Jet, and this is Moira." Says the man. He won 2 years ago, and she won 10 years ago.

"What are you guys good at?"

"I am good with axes. I chop trees before and after school, and I recently won the school wrestling competition. I am strong."

"Good. This is very good. You will have sponsors piling up at your feet. Johanna, what can you do?" Asks Moira.

"I- I guess I can sort of run fast..." I say meekly, looking at my fingers.

"Alright, we can work with that. Any ideas for the arena?"

"I will form an anti-careers alliance, and betray them later. And attack everyone head-on. Or I might join the careers, and betray _them._ I'm still deciding what would work best."

"Good! We will work on those ideas. Johanna?" Says Jet.

"Maybe I will run and hide..."

"Yeah, you do that." Jet says. "Okay, boy, we are going to go bulk you up. Food, now." They get up and leave. Keith looks at me apologetically.

"Alrighty. Johanna, I have seen you around the district and I know you are not a cry-baby. This is an act, am I correct?" I stop crying, and grin.

"Yeah, I'm going to get in that arena, wait until the final eight, and go nuts. I'm strong. I don't work in the lumber all the time, but I do on weekends and Fridays. I'm not too bad at throwing knives either, I can run fast for a _really_ long time, I am good at identifying plants and berries and I have a photographic memory."

"Excellent! Do you want to keep this between us, or share it with Jet and Keith?"

"Keith already knows, he and his twin sister are my best friends at home. I tell them everything. We keep each other's secrets." At this, a real tear slides down my cheek. Moira looks at me sympathetically. "I will get one of you out of the arena, I promise."

At dinner, Moira and Jet make us eat two plates of food each. It's good, rich food, and before long I'm full and my tummy is protesting. But Moira makes me finish my plate of food, and eat another.

"You need to build up your bulk for the arena. You will have a lot less food, and your body will have to rely on the extra fat. Ok?"

We mumble, our mouths full.

"The recap of the reapings are playing! Come on!"

"Excellent. Guys, this is where you take note of possible threats for the arena. Any tributes that stand out in your mind, write down."

We head into the lounge room. A few tributes do stand out in my mind. A drop-dead gorgeous girl from 1. A massive boy from 2. A strong looking girl from 4. The tiny tributes from 9.

I write down possible allies and obvious threats. Moira reads over my notes and gives a nod of approval.

"We're here! We are in the capitol. Now children", at this I scoff inwardly. We are so much more than children. "I want you to smile and wave. They are going to love you!"

We pull into the capitol. Keith and I are at the window. As the tall buildings come into focus, we see a whole crowd of capitol freaks. I have to bite my tongue to stop from laughing. I bit down on my tongue so hard it brings tears to my eyes. Good! I let the tears fall. Hopefully they will all think I'm weak now.

We are led into the remake centre. My prep team, Horatio, Jezzabelle and Eiliana look remarkably like a Raccoon, a Flamingo and a Koala. The skin around Horatio's eyes is dyed brown and he is wearing a black, white and brown suit. Jezzabelle is wearing an extravagant, ridiculous pink dress not unlike Felicia's. Eiliana is wearing a fluffy grey dress with pink ribbons sewn on. They all look absolutely ridiculous.

They wax off all the hair on my body except for that on my head, eyebrows and eyelashes. They shape and buff all my nails, even my toenails. They plonk me in a steaming bath and scrub away all the dirt I didn't even know I had.

It takes all day, but finally I am ready to see my stylist. "Messa is coming!" A small, slouching woman with purple hair and a bright green dress stomps in. "Leave." She says to my prep team.

"Y-yes ma'am!"

She circles me. "Nice hair, pretty eyes, pale skin. We'll do something about those freckles. This could work. Bring out the costume!"

My prep team comes running in carrying a bag. And a parcel. And a box. And another parcel. And another bag.

Messa opens the first bag and pulls out a tree. Well, a brown model shaped like a tree. Of course. District seven. Lumber. So original.

She opens the next bag, bringing out a green dress made of floaty material. "The dress goes on underneath the tree."

She pulls the dress over my head and pulls the tree over my head as well. Messa opens the first parcel bringing out a leafy head dress. It was placed on my head delicately. She brings out dark green sandals and places them on my feet. She opens the last parcel and brings out a gold necklace with green gemstones set in it.

I take a look at myself in the mirror. I look completely ridiculous, and completely forgettable. Perfect.

My district partner is dressed as a lumberjack, in a brown and green checked shirt and cream coloured overalls. The shirt is unbuttoned, and he is holding a hatchet. He might be remembered, as the muscly, strong, lumber boy, but I will easily be forgotten as a tree.

An oak tree, to be precise.

Keith and I get in the carriage, admiring the horses. They have been adorned with leaves. Leaves are woven into the saddles and it is a truly picturesque sight.

The music starts to play, and the horses move of their own accord. Keith waves and brandishes his hatchet, and I wave (sort of) and smile (sort of).

The tributes from 4 truly steal the show. They are dressed in a shimmering fabric that represents fish scales that changes colour when the light catches it.

The boy is holding a trident and looks threatening and handsome and the girl has a golden tiara with opals set in it. Her hair is woven around the tiara, and soon the capitol is chanting her name.

" _Perry! Perry! Perry! Perry!"_

The chants of the capitol echo around the room.


	2. Chapter 2

"Johanna! Wake up! Training is in an hour!" Felicia shrieks, knocking loudly on my door.

"Ok!" I say sweetly, cursing inwardly at this revolting woman. I get out of bed and put on a black long-sleeved top with a green number 7 printed on the back, black trousers and brown leather boots. They have been laid out for me by Messa.

I walk to the dining room, where Moira has laid out a plate piled high with strawberries, bacon, eggs and sausages.

"Alright guys. What are your plans for today?" Says Jet briskly.

"I am going to go to the plants station first, and make my way around the room. I want to try everything at least once." Says Keith.

"Good! Don't be afraid to show them all your strengths." Jet says, speaking more to Keith than to me.

"Johanna?" Moira says, not unkindly.

"I, um, I… might go to the plants station, maybe." I say, careful to play up the nervous, stuttering act.

"Ok. Be sure to check out knots and camouflage too, and go to at least one weapon station." Moira says.

I hit the plants station first. I make sure to pick all the wrong ones. The trainer looks genuinely upset, thinking that I won't make it past the bloodbath. Oh, if only they knew.

After plants I go to camouflage, smearing a variety of different paints and dyes over me. I look about as camouflaged as Felicia's hair.

At the knots station, I tie a knot all right. A knot so knotted it would take a year to untie.

At knives, I miss every single throw. Once it nearly hit an instructor, but I don't think that counts.

So basically, I spent the whole day purposefully failing. And I have to say, I'm a pretty good actress.

"How did it go?" Jet asks as soon as we walk through the door. I start crying and storm off to my room. As I walk off I hear Jet mutter "Bloodbath." Hahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha! If only that dumbass knew. I'll sure show him.

In my room I order a spectacular array of dishes. After I eat most of them, I practice throwing knives. The avoxes who enter to clean up gaze at me dumbfounded. "Not a word of this to anyone, you hear me?" They nod and exit my room, leaving me to throw the knives. Oh, if only I had an axe.

I throw a knife with extreme force at the door, a second before a knock sounds at the door. "Who is it?" I call.

"It's Keith. Can I come in?" I open the door. He walks in and I slam it shut. He looks at the wreckage scene and looks at me with a look on his face.

"Jo, have you sorted out any alliances yet?"

"Nope. Why?"

"The careers accepted me into their alliance. I am going to betray them in the final eight."

"Good for you, Keith. You should just slit their throats while they're sleeping, rather than risk having to fight them."

"Jo, when I betray them do you want to have an alliance?" I look at one of my best friends.

"You mean, if we're both still alive by then."  
"We will be! One of us is going home this year Johanna. Eva can't lose her best friend and twin brother in the same year, she's too mentally fragile. You know what would happen, Jo. We can't risk it happening again. You know how she was after gran died. She was so unsettled. Once I stopped her from stabbing herself."

"You did?" I never knew Eva was that depressed. I mean, I know her gran's death hit her hard… but suicide?

"Yes."

"Alright, alliance in the final eight. Got it. Let's meet at the most eastwardly point."

"Deal."


	3. Chapter 3

The next two days of training pass quickly, and soon it is time to show the gamemakers what we know. I sit there, shaking in my seat, hoping I mess up and everyone believes my act.

"Johanna Mason, District Seven." A smooth female voice calls. I stand up and enter the training score room. I go straight to the knives.

I pick up one and hold it in what I know is the wrong position. I stand in the wrong stance and I throw it without aiming or any thrust at all, and it lands three metres in front of the dummy. All the gamemakers laugh, and I start to cry.

I throw another knife, this one whizzing past the dummy. The gamemakers are laughing very hard now. I change my cries to sobs. I throw a few more knives, each missing the dummy horribly. The last knife I throw lands at my feet.

"You are dismissed, Miss Mason." Says a gamemaker. I walk out, increasing my sobs to wails.

"Keith Robinson, District seven." An eight flashes onto the screen. Jet, Moira and Felicia cheer.

"Johanna Mason, District seven." A two flashes onto the screen.

The room is horribly silent, except for fake Johanna's wails.

The real Johanna is cheering and grinning wickedly inside.

Fake Johanna gets up when dismissed and walks quietly out of the room.

Real Johanna gives everyone the finger and stomps down the hallway, dismissing herself.

Fake Johanna enters her room, closes her door quietly, and goes to bed.

Real Johanna slams the door and throws more knives.

Real Johanna wants fake Johanna to disappear.

Fake Johanna wants real Johanna to appear.

"Interviews!" Felicia shrieks. The real me would have told her to piss off, but the fake me answers sweetly and gets up.

Felicia works with me all morning, correcting my posture and the way I walk.

"No, no, _no_! Your feet are far too clompy! Start again!" After three whole hours of this, Felicia finally seems happy and Moira enters to go over angles.

"Ok. We are going to put together the _worst_ interview the Capitol has ever seen. I have an idea…"

I am wearing a shimmering green dress, with my hair piled elaborately on top of my head. Make-up coats my face and I look… pretty.

A few interviews stuck out in my mind.

The girl from one, Sapphire Hazelgray, plays up the classic district one angle. Seductive and sexy.

Girl from four, Perry Carter, is mysterious.

Boy from six (Teo Morris) is sullen but intriguing.

Keith does excellent! He talks about his family and how unfortunate it is his district partner is one of his best friends.

Then it's my turn. I walk onstage, and about halfway across I trip, breaking one of the six inch heels I'm wearing. The other one flies off my foot and into the audience.

"Well Johanna, that was quite the entrance!" in reply I cry, mascara running down my cheeks.

"So, Johanna, what are you liking best in the Capitol so far?"

"Um… Ur…Uh…Um…Er…"

"Do you like the food?"

"I guess… I haven't really ate much… I'm too nervous about the games…" I stutter, thinking of all the worst possible answers.

"No need to worry, right folks? You'll do fine, Johanna."

"No, I think I will die in the bloodbath. I'm done for! I'm going to die!" I wail. I wipe my eyes and my hand comes away black. Perfect. I look awful.

"Well, you get in there and give it your best shot! Johanna Mason, District seven!" I stumble off stage, and trip again, just as I'm at the exit. I hear the Capitol laughing behind me.

"Johanna, that was awesome. I think you've convinced everyone in Panem that you are a useless, snivelling, foolish, cry-baby." Moira says as soon as all the interviews are over.

"I know. Did I overdo the tripping?"

"No, that was the perfect touch of clumsiness."

"Excellent. Now, in the arena…"

"Get your hands on a knife. And an axe, in the final eight. I have pulled some strings and there will definitely be up to six axes in the Cornucopia." Excellent.

"Cool. What about sponsors?" I ask. If I am dying or dehydrated or something I sure as heck won't have any help from the Capitol.

"Well, by the final eight you should have a few because you survived that far, and by then you would have shown your true colours, but in the meantime, Keith has said he will share any sponsor money he got with you."

"Ok." I say.

"And…Good luck."


	4. Chapter 4

I eat as much food as I can possibly fit in my stomach, and drink a full bottle of water. Then I need to pee. After I pee I drink another bottle of water. Then I pee again. Then I drink more water. Then Messa enters, holding my arena uniform.

A forest green shirt with a grey "7" printed on the back, a grey parka with a green "7" on the back, black pants made of light material and brown leather boots. I am silent as I slip on the clothes. Messa hands me my dragon necklace and I clasp it around my neck.

"I wish you the best of luck Johanna. My thoughts will be on you in that arena. Goodbye."

"Bye, Messa. And thanks. And if I don't make it back tell Moira and Jet that I tried, and I'm sorry."

"I will do so. Goodbye."

I step into the tube that will take me to the arena, holding my necklace. I tuck it down my shirt and cry, to play up the act.

The tube goes up and I wave to Messa one last time. Then she's gone and I am on the plate.

 _59, 58, 57, 56_

I look around. We are in a very green forest. There is a river a bit away from the Cornucopia, and a mountainous terrain opposite the green forest. I look for something to grab. There is a backpack a few metres away from my plate. I position my feet to go in that direction.

 _45, 44, 43, 42_

On either side of me is the girl from four and the girl from six.

 _31, 30, 29, 28_

I spot Keith a few plates away from me. He catches my eye and mouths _Good luck, Jo_

 _17,16,15,14_

I smile weakly at him.

 _3, 2, 1_

 _ **GONG!**_

I run as fast as I can towards the bag. I grab it, and see a small box next to it. I grab the box as well, and I run away from the Cornucopia.

After what seems like an age of running, I find myself in the forest. I climb a tree and see what's in my bag.

I pull out a box of crackers, a packet of trail mix, a bag of beef jerky, a bottle of Iodine, a sleeping bag, a rope, an empty leather pouch, a small rope, a knife (that is serrated on the sides and extremely sharp at the end), a first aid kit (bandages, anti-infection cream, fever pills, and some sort of bruise cream) and a two litre water bottle that is full to the top!

I put everything back in carefully and take a sip of my precious water. I arrange my sleeping bag and put my knife in my belt.

It starts to get dark, and soon the anthem plays.

Both from three, both from five, the boy from eight, the boy from nine, both from ten, both from eleven and both from twelve.

Keith is alive!

It must be a shock to the Capitol that I survived the bloodbath.

I can imagine the broadcasts "Wow, Johanna Mason, pure definition of a bloodbath tribute, actually survived the first day. Who would have thought!"

I have just dropped off when a cannon booms through the arena. The careers must be hunting. I shudder and send a mental "R.I.P" to the poor person.

The next day I decide to just walk.

I eat a strip of jerky and take a sip of water. At what I guess is around lunch time, I sit on a rock in the shade of a tree and eat a cracker. I carve a chunk of wood out of a tree and carve it into the shape of a dragon. I put the dragon in my backpack and continue walking.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day I am at the lake, filling up my drink bottle, when I hear voices. I whip out my knife and turn around.

"It's ok, we won't hurt you." A high voice calls. The girls from eight and nine emerge from the bushes. "Do you have any food?"

"Yes…" I say cautiously.

"We have water."

"So do I." I say.

"Oh…" Says the 14 year old from eight.

"We are quite hungry." Says the 12 year old from nine.

"Would you mind… Sharing?" Says eight.

"First of all, what are your names?"

"I am Cecilly, and this", she gestures at the girl from nine "Is Daisy."

"I'm Johanna. District seven."

"We know." Daisy pipes up.

"So, are you going to share or not?" Cecilly says.

"Um… what do you have to give me?" I say.

"We can watch your back, and we have an extra knife." Says Cecilly.

"Okay." I hand them each a strip of jerky and a cracker.

"Thanks." Cecilly says. As the minutes tick by, I get to know the girls.

Cecilly works in the fabric factories after and before school and has a big family, with seven siblings, two dogs, and three cats. She is extremely outgoing and has heaps of friends. Daisy is an orphan and is at the community home. She has a friend called Petula and a calico cat called Strawberry waiting for her at home. She is shy, and Petula and Cecilly are her only human friends.

"What about you, Johanna? What's your story?" Cecilly says.

"Well, I have two parents and a little brother called Stinker. His real name is Stewart, but when he was a baby he played in the mud and smelt awful, so my Da nicknamed him Stinker. I have a great friend called Eva. And my other friend is Keith." Cecilly interrupts me there.

"Your district partner?"

"Yeah. Eva's twin."

"Oh, sorry Johanna. That must be hard for you." Cecilly says. Daisy nods, a sincere look on her face.

"Guys… do you want an alliance?" I ask. The two go into a whispered discussion.

"Yes, that would be great. Thanks!" Says Cecilly.

"Ok." I say.

We set to work making a basic shelter. Daisy has some tarp that she got from the Cornucopia and we set it up between some heavy rocks. We smear mud and dirt over the shelter, and by the time we are done it looks natural.

Cecilly knows how to make a basic snare, so I give her my rope and she constructs a trap that will hopefully kill a rabbit for our dinner.

As night falls, the anthem sounds. The cannon was for the girl from six.

"Alexia…" Daisy says quietly.

"Did you know her?" I ask.

"Yes, she was part of our alliance. But we never saw her since the bloodbath." Cecilly answers.

"Oh. I'm sorry." I say.

"That's alright. You would have liked her. She was really down-to-earth." Says Cecilly.

"Yes… she comforted me when the careers said I wouldn't last a day in this arena." Daisy says, a small tear trickling down her cheek. She wipes it away hurriedly.

"Yeah, she told em' to piss off." Cecilly says.

"We should sleep. I'll take first watch if you like." I say.

"Yeah, thanks Johanna."

"Call me Jo." I say to them.

"Only if you call me Cecy." Says Cecilly, grinning.

"Deal." Daisy smiles. I pull out my sleeping bag and hand it to them. They doze off pretty quickly.

After an hour of quiet air, I hear loud voices. The careers!

"Girls. Girls, wake up." I whisper urgently, shaking them.

"What's wrong?" Cecilly says.

"Careers." I whisper.

"Oh." Daisy wriggles out of the sleeping bag after Cecy and she shoves it into my bag. We all take out our knives and put our bags on our backs.

"So it's just us and the three princesses, you say seven?" The loud voice of the district two boy fills the air.

"Yes. Just the girl from my district, the girl from eight and the girl from nine." Keith!

"Well. I guess it's a year for the girls." The voice of Perry sounds.

"How do you mean, four?" Two boy says.

"I mean, Joshua, that only the career boys are alive. The rest are all girls." She says, obviously annoyed at Joshua's dimwittedness.

"Oh." Cecy pulls a face. A small noise leaves her mouth, and I realise what's about to happen.

"Achoo!" Crap.

"What was that?"

"A sneeze, dimwit!"

"Well, duh. It came from over there."

"Come out, Princess!" Yeah, when hell freezes over.

"Come out. Come on, you know we're going to find you." The girl from one taunts. Daisy sits up.

"Daisy? What are you doing?" Cecy whispers. Daisy kisses her on the cheek, kisses me on the cheek and hands us her supplies. We both know what is about to happen,

"Goodbye, my friends. Good luck. When one of you wins, tell Petula she is like a sister to me." Cecy tries to grab Daisy's sleeve but she slips out of the shelter before she can grab her.

"Oh! The wittle ickle pwincess. Wook at her!" The girl from two taunts in a mock baby voice.

"I think the Capitol is bored. Why not give them a show?" The boy from four says wickedly.

"Come here, kiddie." Perry grabs the front of Daisy's jacket and pulls her forward.

"Aw, she's so pretty. But her face is a bit… how do you say…" The boy from two says, looking for a word.

"How about we give her a nose job?" The girl from one muses. Daisy knows what is about to happen. She takes a deep breath, sniffing the air one last time. The girl from two grabs Keith's axe and chops Daisy's nose in half. To Daisy's credit, she doesn't scream. She doesn't make a noise. Even when they chop each of her fingers off one by one. Then her toes. Then her ears.

After what seems like eternity, Daisy's cannon finally goes off. Daisy's once blonde hair is stained with red, and her big green eyes are wide open and glassy. Tears are pouring down Cecy's face and she turns red in her effort to not make a noise. But it doesn't work. A cry escapes her lips. I clamp my hand over her mouth but it's too late.

"Is there another princess out there?" Cecy and I hold a whispered discussion. We hug each other, grab our bags, and bolt. Cecy goes right and I go left. They can't chase both of us at once.

"Go for eight! Seven is a stupid fool. Go, go, go!" The careers pound after Cecy. I get one last glimpse at her, her light brown hair flying behind her, her blue eyes with a look of determination.

I follow them after a bit, hoping to rescue Cecy. I sneak up behind them. She is tied to a tree, and they are about to cut her face open. I throw a knife at the district two boy's head and it hits him, killing him instantly. I have two more knives. Daisy gave me hers and Cecy gave me the extra one.

As the cannon booms, the careers whip around, seeing me.

"What… how…" The district one boy stutters. I smirk. Real Johanna has risen.

"Guess I'm not as pathetic as you thought I was, dumbass." I say sarcastically. "I was acting the whole freaking time, you morons, and nobody figured it out. Now who's pathetic?"

"Smart, seven, I'm impressed. But not smart enough, because you've landed yourself in a battle with the careers with no allies. Pathetic."

"She has an ally. She has two." While the careers had been taunting me, Keith had cut Cecy free and they were standing there, ready to kill.

"Dumbasses." Cecy says, smirking.

"Oh, so you betrayed us, huh?" The district two girl says angrily.

"Duh." Keith chucks me one of his hatchets. I catch it gratefully. I tuck my knives in my belt and prepare to attack.

"Do you know how we sort out betrayers? You are about to find out." Perry says, picking up her trident. I throw my knife at her, but she dodges and it hits her district partner instead. It flies into his heart and boom goes the cannon.

She attacks me with the trident but I deflect it with my axe. Cecy attacks her from behind. The district one girl turns away from me and helps her district partner fight Keith, but as soon as her back is turned I throw my knife. It buries itself in her spine and she drops. The cannon echos around the arena, and her district partner's cannon fires not long after, because he now has an axe buried in his chest.

Unfortunately, so does Keith. I throw my knife at district four but she and two run away, leaving me and Cecy to say goodbye to Keith.

"Keith!"

"Johanna. You are going home to Eva. Tell my family I love them, and tell Jet that I tried. Goodbye, Jo…" He smiles at me.

"Uh, not so fast, Brainless. You can't just die on me now." Keith smiles at the nickname I gave him when we were eight.

"Oh, but Slowanna, I can." I smile at the nickname he gave me when we were six. Ten years ago.

Boom! Keith dies with a smile on his face. Cecy squeezes my hand. A tear trickles down my cheek which I wipe away fiercely. "Goodbye, Brainless. Play a few pranks in heaven for me." I close his eyes and Cecy and I walk away.

"So, I guess this is goodbye." Says Cecy sadly.

"Yeah. Thanks for being my ally, Cecy. Good luck."

"Bye, Johanna. Good luck."


	6. Chapter 6

It has been a day since the fight, and I haven't eaten since then. I know the gamemakers are messing with the arena, because I have been hunting but I haven't seen any other life. Animal life, I mean. So they're starving us, dehydrating us, freezing us, and heating us.

How?

They got rid of all animal life, drained the river and any other water source, turned the heat up during the day and turned the heat way down at night.

Moira sent me a parachute containing a bottle of water, but no food. I still had my axe and my knives, which I had retrieved from the bodies at the fight scene. So I was pretty well armed.

"Attention, tributes! Congratulations for making it this far. Each of you are starving, so we would like to invite you to a feast at the Cornucopia, at sundown. We hope to see you there. Good luck!"

The second bloodbath. Finally we can end this thing.

I head down to the Cornucopia, my knives in my belt, my bag on my back, and my axe in my hand. I crouch behind a bush.

I wait for about an hour, when I hear a grinding. A table comes out of the ground. There are silver platters on the table, and the rich smell of Capitol food meets my nostrils. I see Cecy running up to the table. Perry runs up to it as well, and then the district one girl too. I run, wanting to end the games now.

I throw a knife at the district two girl. She deflects it with her sword, and stands on the table.

"Now, now, that isn't very good table manners, is it?" I say, taunting her.

"You shut your mouth, seven, or I'll cut you up like I did to that pretty friend of yours."

Cecy attacks her from behind, a wild, angry look in her eyes. Perry tackles me, and knocks my axe from my hands. Shit! It landed a metre away and I can't reach it. I take out my knife and roll, shoving her off me. I grab my axe.

Boom! I see Cecy fall, a knife between her eyes. I cry out in sadness and anger, and with a single swipe of my hatchet, the district two girl's head rolls onto the grass. Boom!

"It's just you and me now, four. Let's end this now." Perry nods. She shifts her trident in her hands.

"Good luck, and may the odds be _ever_ in your favour." She says in a mock Capitol accent.

"Unfortunately for you, four, they aren't." I say. I lunge at her. With a swipe of my axe, her hand falls onto the grass. She screams in anger and pain, and stabs me in the stomach. I fall backwards.

"Let's end this now, seven. District four, here I come!" Silly girl. Kill first, gloat later.

Her trident didn't hurt me that much. But I am an actress.

"Kill first, gloat later, dumbass!" I say as I jump up. I throw my axe and it hits her in the forehead. Boom!

"Announcing the victor of the 70th hunger games, Johanna Mason from district seven!"


	7. Chapter 7

"I can walk." I snap, pushing away the Capitol attendant who tries help me climb up into the hovercraft. He backs away, mortified.

"Yo dumbasses! Get me some food!" I yell.

"Not yet, Miss Mason. We need to attend to your injuries."

"You didn't attend to my injuries in that f*****g arena, why should you attend to them now?"

"Because they may have damaged vital organs."

"So? You don't care."

"We do care—" at this I laugh hysterically.

"If you cared, the hunger games wouldn't exist. You don't care, you sick, stupid Capitol freak!"

That is the last thing I say before the syringe is stuck in my arm.

"Ssshhh, she's waking up!"

"Yeah, no shit, moron." I say, sitting up. Felicia and Moira are sitting on either side of my bed. Felicia looks shocked at my reply and Moira looks amused.

"Now, no need to be rude." Felicia says in that stupid Capitol voice.

"Piss off, b**ch."

"Felicia, I think you should go." Moira says. Felicia nods haughtily and hikes out of the room.

"Johanna Mason shows her true colours." Says Moira.

"Duh, brainless." I say, annoyed.

"That was the headline on Capitol newspapers for days after the final eight. You certainly surprised them."

"That was the _idea_!"

"Johanna, you did an excellent job, and I am proud of you. Everyone believed your act, and when you confronted the careers Jet had to pinch himself. People have made replicas of your dragon necklace and the things you said are now used as slogans. The gamemakers are even wearing T-shirts with "Dumbasses!" imprinted on them."

"Mindless sheep. Always following the crowd." I mutter. "Now someone get me food!" I yell, snapping my fingers at the doctor.

 _ **TWO DAYS LATER**_

I am dressed in black high waisted shorts, a black crop top, black net leggings and black leather knee boots. I have a choker and my Dragon necklace around my neck, and black lipstick on my lips. I don't think I look right, with this intimidating outfit and my long hair, so I cut my hair with a knife. It now falls to the bottom of my ears in uneven spikes. Perfect. I am ready for my interview. An interview with the _real_ Johanna. Prepare to be insulted, Caesar Flickerman!

"Johanna Mason, Victor of the 70th hunger games!"

I enter, not even looking at the Capitol audience. I shoot Caesar a glare that would kill a snake.

"So Johanna, how do you feel about winning the 70th hunger games?"

"How do you think I feel, dumbass?"

"Haha, surprising as ever! I must say, you certainly fooled Panem with your act."

"That was the idea, Brainless."

"So, Johanna-" I cut him off mid-sentence.

"Can we just watch the f*****g recap and get the stupid thing over with?"

"Uh…yes." For once, the great Caesar Flickerman, without a word to say.

The recap starts, and I have to see it all over again. I see poor Daisy, tortured to death, I see Keith, I see Cecy, and I am reminded of all the people I have killed.

Apparently after the recap I am meant to sit for another interview, but that ain't happening.

"Alright then. Johanna, what were your thoughts during the recap?"

"I was thinking how much I want you b*****s to crown me already."

President Snow approaches me with a crown. He places it on my head.

The strong, sweet scent of the rose he is wearing does not quite mask the coppery scent of blood.

He smiles at me, but the smile does not reach his eyes.

"Congratulations, Miss Mason. Upon winning your games the Capitol got a taste of who you really are. And as sharp-tongued as you are, a few Capitolians have said your words sounded… rebellious. I advise you to hold your tongue, or some very… unfortunate incidents might happen to those you love most." At this a shiver runs down my spine. I may be rude, but I'm sure not stupid. I nod, giving him my most ferocious glare.


	8. Chapter 8

"Johanna! President Snow wants to talk to you in his office. We need to get you ready." Felicia yells.

"I'll get myself ready, dumbass! Piss off!" I yell back.

Stupid President Snow, making me get up at 6 in the morning.

I throw on black leggings and a black tank top. I put on my black boots, but decide against it. I'm going to go barefoot.

"Johanna! Put some shoes on!"

"Hate to break it to you, but you ain't my mother. And only my mother gets to tell me to put shoes on. So get lost, Brainless." I yell at Felicia.

"Alright, fine. Have it your way. Ok, do you want me to accompany you-"

Stupid question. I walk out of the penthouse. I'll find my own way to Snow's office.

I walk into his office without bothering or caring to knock.

"Ah, Johanna. Sit down."

As soon as I am seated, he propels into speech. But I ignore all this and launch into my own speech.

"So what do you want from me, Snow? What could you possibly need from me at 6:30 in the morning?"

"I would like to ask you a favour."

"What's in it for me?"

"Your families' lives." I laugh, not taking him seriously.

"You can't touch me Snow! Or my family! I am Titanium, the strongest of metals. I am Johanna, the strongest of Victors."

"Unfortunately, Johanna, I am able to break Titanium. As easily as I can break you, as a matter of fact."

"Ok, let me guess. You have some stupid artificial Capitol machine that can melt Titanium or something."

"Yes, but I have other ways to break and bend and melt Victors into doing what I want them to do."

"How, Snow?"

"Johanna, I invited you here to ask you a favour. Well, to ask you to do my friends' a favour."

"NO. No favours for anyone."

"I would only like you to meet a couple of sponsors. The people who gave you that expensive gift of water on the last day. I would only like you to repay the debt."

"You want me to have sex with them, don't you."

"Yes."

"Not happening, Dumbass! Goodbye!" I yell, walking out of the room.

"Oh Johanna. You really don't know what's coming to you." President Snow says, as soon as the foolish girl had stalked out of his office. "I _can_ break Titanium. As easily as I can break people."


	9. Chapter 9

Today I get home. I will see Daddy, Mum, Stinker, Eva, and the Robinsons. I will see my house, I will see the forest and I will be out of the stinking artificial Capitol. I won't have to endure my prep team's jabbering, or Felicia's stupid accent. Messa will not force me into stupid outfits and I will not have to sit through anymore interviews. I am free.

I step off the train, ready to spring into daddy's arms, kiss mum on the cheek, ruffle Stinker's hair, and giggle with Eva.

But as I step off that train, an apprehensive shock runs through me. I shudder, wondering what it means.

I walk through the justice building and onto the stage, where district seven is waiting.

But no-one smiles.

No-one cheers.

No-one claps.

Instead, tears are streaking down their faces.

I look for daddy, mum and Stinker in the crowd.

I don't find them.

I see the Robinsons and jump off the platform. Eva hugs me so tight I can't breathe. Tommy joins the embrace, and soon Mr and Mrs Robinson do too.

"Eva! I missed you so much. But where is my family?"

"Johanna… Jo… There was a fire. It started in your brother's room, and ravaged the rest of the house. It spread quicker than any fire ever spread. Soon, your whole house was engulfed in flames. Everyone in the district was trying to help put it out. We tried, Jo, we tried. But we couldn't find your family in time."

"No. No, you're pulling my leg. Eva. EVA! Tell me the truth, Eva. Tell me the truth!" I grasp the front of her clothes. "Eva!" I sob into her shoulder. She pats my back.

"I'm sorry Jo. I am so very sorry."

I wander the cold, empty halls of my new house in the Victor's Village.

"Dad?"

"Mum?"

"Stinker?"

"Where are you?" I call.

I search the kitchen, the lounge room, the dining room. I wander the cold empty halls of the house I cannot yet call mine.

I find a room that would be perfect for Stinker. Toy cars roll, propelled by the small, grubby hand that is not there.

It is blue, with blue and yellow curtains. It has a window seat looking over the backyard. He will love it! I just have to find him first.

"Stinker? Stop hiding, you silly boy. Come out! I found a room that you will love."

He doesn't come out, so I continue wandering through the empty halls of my house.

I find a pretty sitting-room that my mother would love. It has a piano in the corner, and a sewing kit placed on the table. Flowered curtains flutter in the breeze. A needle pushes through a hole in a dress, repaired by a long-fingered hand that is not there.

"Mum? Mum, I found you a room. But you need to come out! How can I show you the room if you don't come out?"

She doesn't answer or appear, so I walk through the cold empty halls of my new house in the Victor's village.

I find a magnificent workshop on the bottom level that Daddy would love. It has tools and wood, and a beautiful axe hanging on the wall. A chisel chips intricate designs on a chest of drawers, carefully manoeuvred by the strong hand that is not there.

"Daddy, I found you a workshop. You would love it. But I can't give it to you if you don't come out! Why won't you come out?"

Suddenly the axe on the wall springs towards me. I scream and run away, but the axe chases me. Daisy, Cecy, Keith, Perry, the girl from one, the boy from one, the girl from two, the boy from two, the boy from four, daddy, mum and Stinker all appear.

"We came out, Johanna. But we all want a room." They chant, circling me.

"No, you can't all live here. Only Daddy and mum and Stinker." I say. They can't all fit in my house.

"But you killed us, Johanna. If it wasn't for you we would still be alive. The least you can do is let us all have a room." They chant, packing in around me.

"I didn't kill Daisy or Cecy or Keith!" I scream, trying to run away. But my feet stay stuck to the ground. "I didn't kill Daddy or Mum or Stinker!"

"It is because of you we are dead, Johanna. It's all your fault. All you fault." They chant, advancing on me. Suddenly, President Snow appears, holding the axe that was hanging on the wall.

"It is true, Johanna. You killed all these people. They would still be alive if it weren't for you."

Snow swings the axe around and around and around, chopping the heads of everyone in the room. The decapitated heads all laugh, chanting my name.

Eva stands on an island in the middle of the sea of blood. "Eva!" I scream. "Eva, help me!" I scream, reaching for her.

"No, Johanna. You killed my brother. You killed my mother. You killed my father. You killed my other brother. You killed me. I am dead now." Snow nods along to her words. He swings at her with the axe, and her head and her body falls into the sea of blood.

I am drowning, drowning in the blood of the innocent lives I took away.

Snow is laughing, standing on the island in the middle of the sea of blood.

The tributes are laughing, standing on an island in the middle of the sea of blood.

District seven are laughing, standing on the island in the middle of the sea of blood.

Caesar is laughing, standing on the island in the middle of the sea of blood.

Messa is laughing, standing on the island in the middle of the sea of blood.

My prep team is laughing, standing on the island in the middle of the sea of blood.

Everyone is laughing, standing on the island of the sea of blood.


	10. Chapter 10

It's time to say goodbye to Keith.

But not just Keith.

Daddy, Mum, Stinker, Eva, Mr Robinson, Mrs Robinson and Tommy as well.

Because in the space of a week, they have all been killed.

By me.

No necessarily by my hand, but it was the reason of my doing that they were killed.

By Snow.

I will not let him have the pleasure of seeing me cry.

He cannot break me.

He can kill my family.

He can kill my friends.

He can make my life a living hell.

But he will not break me.

Because I am Titanium.

Titanium, the strongest of metals.

I am Johanna.

Johanna, the strongest of Victors.

He has no-one left to threaten me with.

He has killed my allies, my district partner, my fellow tributes, my family, my friends.

So this time, I am the one to threaten him.

I am Titanium.


End file.
